In 2010, I set up this blog as an efficient means of communicating with my friends and family while I was away at Marine Corps boot camp. My dad posted portions of my letters, as well as general information as to what I was doing on any given day. Now, feel free to bookmark this page and check for updates on what I'm up to. Thanks for reading!
The Marines of Platoon 2106 are nearing the end of their 10-day liberty, awaiting the start of Marine Combat Training at Camp Pendleton.
Their Oct. 15 graduation made room at MCRD for another platoon, and reporter Tony Perry and photographer Walt Skalij, both of the Los Angeles Times, were there when anxious recruits first stepped on the yellow footprints ready to join "something bigger than themselves."
Here's a link to the story: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-boot-camp-20101024,0,3415946,full.story
It has been at least 6 years since I first dreamed of becoming a Marine, almost one full year since enlisting in the Delayed Entry Program, and more than three long months since I've last posted on here. Today, I can finally call myself a United States Marine; a title that will stay with me for the rest of my life and can never be taken away.
First, I'd like to thank you all for reading my blog. I know my dad put a ton of work into it! It certainly means a lot to have others read and comment.
Before I talk about my experiences, I would just like to say how comfortable I am; it is pouring rain outside, and the peace and quiet of my empty home is occasionally broken by the sounds of distant thunder. I'm lying back in our recliner, typing away on my new laptop. I dreamed of doing all of this throughout training, and especially during the Crucible when I was outside in this kind of weather. I'm definitely more appreciative of having a roof over my head when we had to march around in the rain and sleep in sleeping bags on the dirt.
Of course, boot camp really did suck at times. For the first month, I really had a hard time buying-in to what I was doing. I knew before that I was going to learn how to kill. What was hard for me was that everything we did was geared towards combat. Everything we did was to train us for war. I've never been deployed, but the way I was trained certainly made me realize the harsh realities of war. Now after graduating, I'm glad that we were trained the way we were; I'm fully confident in my abilities to perform at a basic level in combat. I'm confident in my shooting abilities, and I know that if and when the time comes, I can rely on my training to help me in war.
Speaking of shooting, I did meet one of my pre-boot camp goals: qualifying as an expert rifleman. Even with a full day less of practicing than most recruits, I still managed to do well. (We were supposed to qualify on a Friday, but because of labor day, and thus our coaches being on liberty, we got one less day and had to qualify on Thursday.) A little over half of my platoon did qualify as expert; however, we did have two recruits fail, or UNQ (un-qualify). (They were able to have a second attempt; both qualified, but even though one would have qualified as a sharpshooter, they were only marked down as getting a 190 -- the bare minimum for passing. Shooting is important in the Marine Corps, as qualification levels and scores on the range count greatly towards one's next promotion.)
Another goal that I accomplished was qualifying pretty good on the combat swimming. There are four levels of qualification for swim:
Level IV: The basic level required for all Marines. The hardest part was staying afloat -- without our heads going beneath the water -- for four minutes in full cammies and combat boots. I honestly didn't think I was going to pass this, but luckily, I did. We also had to jump off a 12-foot diving board, which was scary at first, but just like some of those roller coaster rides, I wanted to jump off again as soon as I resurfaced. Every Marine with this level of qualification must re-qualify every year.
Level III: I forget the exact distances, but we basically had to swim from one side of the long pool to the other in full combat gear: boots, cammies, Kevlar, flak jacket, rifle, and backpack. We also had to jump off the diving board in all that gear and then swim to the side. The hardest part about this for me was getting the rifle's sling un-tangled from my backpack strap, arm, and neck. I wanted to fail at that point because with all that gear on and having my arms tangled, plus the fact that my heart was racing after resurfacing from the jump (I went down pretty far with all that gear!), I literally felt like I was going to drown. But, I survived. A Marine with this level of qualification must re-qualify every other year.
Level II: This was the highest level that was offered at MCRD. This one, despite one of my drill instructors scaring us before qualifying by saying how hard it was, wasn't all that bad. All we had to do was drag a buddy through the water halfway the distance of the pool, then switch and have the other guy drag us back. Both recruits are in full gear, just like level two. The good thing is that the backpack does naturally float; only problem is is that you move very, very slow. I qualified at this level, and only have to qualify one more time before my four-year contract is over.
Level I: I have no idea what one has to do to get this level of qualification, except that it requires a TON of distance swimming. It is only required for those with special jobs, like those in Force Recon (special forces).
Anyway, another thing that I had trouble with was the obstacle course. I messed up my fingers pretty bad during Phase I when doing the rope climb at the end. Basically, I got almost to the top, but my arms and grip got super-tired, and when I looked around and realized just how high I was, I freaked out and slid all the way down, burning my fingertips in the process. I had to go to medical, and it took about a month for my wounds to completely heal. After many nights of dreaming about the dreaded rope climb, I did get a chance to redeem myself in Phase III. However, this time we had to do the course with body armor (flak jackets) and helmets (Kevlar). Believe me, I was so pumped and motivated at the beginning of the course because I could finally face one of my boot camp fears. But of course, the drill instructors got bored, and kept sending me back to the beginning of the course, over and over, whenever I got close to the end. (This happened to a lot of others too.) What sucks is that the first few obstacles are the most tiring: having to throw your body around what is like a tall pull-up bar, as well as get over a bunch of logs. The trick is to jump as high as you can, push your hips up above the log, and throw your feet over. It is very hard, but with all the practice, it eventually became very easy. Anyway, I eventually got to the rope and made it up there. I got to the top and had to extend my arm pretty high up to slap the wood and yell, "Recruit Rice, Platoon 2106, Senior Drill Instructor Staff Sergeant Hernandez, Kill kill kill 'em all!" I quickly climbed back down, and even though I felt amazing, my hands and forearms were pretty worn out. This video has a clip of that rope climb:
Now, I can't go on without talking about the food. I have to admit, the food at recruit training is absolutely delicious. And it is very healthy too: I had a piece of watermelon, canned fruit/peaches and orange juice every morning for breakfast. I also had a salad and an apple for both lunch and dinner, complete with either milk or Powerade. Even the MREs, or Meals Ready-to-Eat in the field tasted great. The only problem: I often had to throw away some or most of my meal, because we were either too pressed for time, or because another recruit was caught with ice cream or extra dessert. Yes, they did have some desserts, like cookies, cake, or pudding. However, there would usually be one of our drill instructors standing right by where the deserts are at, or only those who dared to go against what we were taught about nutrition would attempt to get some. Yes, later on in training (Phase III) it was rare that a drill instructor would be standing by the cookies, I did get dessert a lot of times then. However, ice cream was always off limits. The ice cream was reserved for Marines only, which a lot of us got to enjoy during Marine week (the last week of training), and during the Warrior's Breakfast (the first meal after completing the Crucible and earning the title Marine). But even during Marine week, we were still discouraged from using the machines, and some new Marines still got yelled at for making poor food choices. However, at the end, no one got kicked out of the chow hall for getting ice cream, so the yelling didn't stop a lot of people. I never got ice cream, but I did get desert pretty much every meal after the Crucible. Heck, in our minds, we freaking made it, and we were going to celebrate by getting some cookies for dinner. =)
There was one thing that never really got easier throughout training: dealing with other recruits. I spent four years in marching band in high school, and I know that I learned a LOT about dealing with other people and working as a team. I am now so much more grateful for what I learned. There were plenty of recruits that tried to initiate fights with me; even though it was hard it first, it did eventually become natural to see how stupid they were being -- and how much more stupid the things were that caused them to become ill-tempered. My best response to somebody who shoved me out of their way? Simply ignore them. Some recruits even criticized me for everything I did (or didn't do)! It was easy to show them how hypocritical they were being, but that always resulted in a heated argument that eventually led to fighting. Especially after seeing how those recruits treated others the same, I just learned to let their comments go in one ear, and out the other. The way I see it, I learned a lot on how to deal with others. But of course, this is always room for improvement, especially in this area.
Now, about the Crucible. The first two full days are action-packed. From 0400 to midnight, you are constantly on the move. Throughout Edson Range, there are many different obstacles; each has a Medal of Honor citation, and the obstacle is based on what that Marine did. One of my favorite courses had us work as a team to transport ammo and supplies across a rope, which simulated a broken bridge. I forget the name, but back in Vietnam a Marine spent hours setting up explosives underneath a highly-traveled bridge, constantly going back and forward to get more supplies. It was very touching to read those citations. It definitely makes earning the title Marine that much bigger of a deal, because you remember all those who died before you. All of them were Marines who went to boot camp, then went to war, and did their job honorably. Just to be called a Marine -- and therefore bearing the same name as those who did things that seem to come straight out of Hollywood -- is very heavy on the soul. I took the most away from the two times we got to sit down and talk to our drill instructors. For the first time, we are allowed to use "I" and other first-person words on the Crucible. Also for the first time, we are able to sit down and talk to our drill instructors and ask them about their experiences in the Marines: we asked about what war was like, what the fleet is like, and so on. This only happened twice throughout the Crucible, and each session lasted under 45 minutes (I'm assuming). I loved hearing about my drill instructors, especially since hearing them talk about their lives made them seem actually human. I never saw my drill instructors eat, drink, or sleep throughout boot camp. They were up before we were, went to sleep after us, and were even out and about when I was on firewatch at 0200. I don't know how they do it. I know have the utmost respect for those who serve as drill instructors; and only a couple weeks after graduation, they go right back at it with a whole new cycle of recruits. This goes on and on for 3 years, the length of a tour.
On a side note, firewatch is a big thing in training. Each of us learned about the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon on October 23rd, 1983. It is a date we committed to memory. Basically, 220 Marines were killed went a suicide bomber drove his vehicle -- full of explosives -- and detonated it near the barracks. This all happened because the Marine who was standing front post fell asleep. The purpose of firewatch is to preserve order, protect property, and enforce regulations (keyword P.O.P.P.E.R.). Even though there is no immediate threat on the Depot, we had to stand firewatch throughout the night to get us ready for living in a war-time environment. Marines are humans too. There has to be someone always standing guard to make sure the enemy doesn't kill them in their sleep. Every hour throughout the night, 4 recruits would stand firewatch, one of which would be "front post." The others would count bodies (so if a recruit goes missing, the drill instructors know immediately), patrol the squadbay and head (restroom), or any other tasks that were assigned. Sometimes, firewatch would be boring and uneventful. Other times, we would have so much to do, it was overwhelming. Some tasks would be marking 78 physical training shirts, marking score cards, and stapling them to all the shirts for the physical fitness test (I scored a first-class PFT, btw, another one of my goals). Or the night before an inspection, we would have to polish/re-darken our dress shoes, or fix our uniforms. Anyway, firewatch is very important, even at the cost of losing a couple hours of sleep each night.
Overall, I loved boot camp. The days truly flew by. With no calendars, watches, televisions, cell phones, newspapers, magazines, or computers, it is really easy to feel like MCRD San Diego is all that there is in the world -- nothing else exists, and all memories I had of home seemed like just a dream. Because there is no way to measure the time, except for night and day and each meal, it is easy to get lost in the recruit training world. This is good because it allows you to focus on training, and it does make each day go by fast. There were slow days, of course, but overall, it literally flew right by.
Now this entry would not be complete without some funny drill instructor quotes I wrote down throughout the cycle. Even in all the seriousness, drill instructors would still say some pretty funny things, even if it didn't always seem so at the time (some contain profanity...you have been warned):
"I'm a 4th award expert shot, a black belt instructor in MCMAP, I run a first-class PFT, and I piss excellence. I'm a sexy bitch!"
"I'm just like your football coach, but more badass."
"Yeah.....get on my quarterdeck." (Meaning you were going to be IT'd, or forced to do non-stop physical exercises until muscle failure.)
"...so just suck it the fuck up."
(When talking about camouflage) "You're gunna stick out like an adam's apple on a hooker."
"What girl?"
"Son, I'm gunna jack you up."
"Test me."
"Don't worry, I got you."
"Why wouldn't it be you."
Now, here are some videos for your viewing pleasure:
The new Marines of Platoon 2106 have been in boot camp since July 19, without the opportunity to read the morning newspaper or watch the nightly news. Away from MCRD and Camp Pendleton, a lot has been happening:
The day boot camp started, the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico was the lead story nationwide. BP’s blown-out well 40 miles off the Louisiana coast was sealed from the top on July 15, four days before the recruits shipped off. It took another two months for the well to be permanently plugged with cement in an operation known as the “bottom kill.”
Also on July 15, the Los Angeles Times first reported that Robert Rizzo, the city manager in Bell, one of Los Angeles County’s poorest cities, was making nearly $800,000 a year, and several City Council members were pulling in nearly $100,000 a year for part time work. The revelation sparked outrage from Bell residents, and a review of salaries in cities nationwide. On Sept. 21, eight Bell officials were arrested, along with Rizzo, who faces up to 58 years in prison if convicted.
It’s unlikely any of the recruits heard of Jackie Evancho or Christine O’Donnell, but both quickly became national sensations during the past 13 weeks. Evancho, a 10-year-old singer inspired by “The Phantom of the Opera,” on Aug. 10 first dazzled viewers of “America’s Got Talent” with her powerful, adult-sounding voice. She surprisingly lost in the season finale to a shy blues singer from Mississippi, Michael Grimm. For her part, O’Donnell pulled off an upset win in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Sept. 14, becoming a darling of the right and a lampoon target of the left for views she expressed on a variety of topics years earlier.
What’s bacon and hash browns without scrambled eggs? Americans found out in August after more than 1,500 became sick after eating eggs produced at farms in Iowa. The salmonella illnesses led to a recall of 550 million eggs.
U.S. combat troops finished pulling out of Iraq on Aug. 19, leaving about 50,000 servicemen in the country, working mainly as a training force.
“Mad Men” and “Modern Family” were named the top drama and comedy series, respectively, at the 62nd Emmy Awards on Aug. 22. “The Pacific” won for best miniseries.
The new fall TV season officially started Sept. 20. Eight days later, the critically acclaimed series about a Texas con man leading a double life, “Lone Star,” was pulled from Fox’s primetime schedule after just two airings, making it the first casualty of the young season.
After a cooler-than-normal summer, on Sept. 28 the temperature in Los Angeles reached 113 degrees – the highest ever in records that date back to 1877. Then the thermometer stopped working.
From the “What will Google do next?” department. The Internet giant announced that it has been testing unmanned vehicles on city streets and highways. Seven test cars have logged 1,000 miles without human intervention and more than 140,000 miles with only occasional human control. One even went down San Francisco’s Lombard Street, one of the steepest and curviest streets in the nation. The only accident was when one Google car was stopped at a traffic light, and it was rear-ended.
George Lucas announced that the six star wars movies will be converted into 3-D and released in theaters, starting with “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” in 2012.
Among the recruits, a fair number of them are likely baseball fans – although Josh is not among them. Those who are may be surprised to know they missed history in the first round of the Major League Baseball playoffs. Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies tossed a 4-0 no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on Oct. 6. It was the second playoff no-hitter in history, and the first since Don Larsen threw a perfect game for the New York Yankees against Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series.
An Aug. 6 cave-in trapped 33 miners a mile below ground in Chile. Following an international rescue effort compared to the one staged for the Apollo 13 crew, the miners were pulled from the depths – one by one – starting Oct. 12.
Since July 19, we’ve lost George Blanda (NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker), writer and TV series creator Stephen J. Cannell (“The A-Team,” “The Rockford Files”), Oscar nominated actor Tony Curtis (“The Defiant Ones”), director Arthur Penn (“Bonnie and Clyde,” “Little Big Man”), Billie Richards (the voice of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in the 1964 TV special), Leonard Skinner (the tongue-in-cheek inspiration for the 1970s rock ’n’ roll band Lynyrd Skynyrd), and Oscar nominated actress Gloria Stewart (“Titanic”).
See, you really do miss a lot when you’re away for 13 weeks.
A big ooh-rah! to one of the newest Marines in the Corps: Joshua James Rice.
While it's not official that he successfully finished the Crucible, we're going on the assumption that no news is good news – and as of 10 a.m., his recruiting station had received no word about Josh, nor any of the other recruits in his platoon for that matter.
Following the Crucible is the emblem ceremony, when the recruits receive the Eagle, Globe and Anchor from their drill instructors. It was expected to take place sometime this hour.
Afterwards, the platoon will march back to their quarters at Camp Pendleton. It will be a lengthy march, but one filled with well-earned pride.
So a hearty “congratulations” to Josh and all of the new Marines in the Second Recruit Training Battalion, Echo Company, Platoon 2106.
Josh starts the 54-hour Crucible today; here’s a letter I sent to him last week:
Sept. 29, 2010 (T-56)
Hi Josh,
It was great to hear your voice yesterday. I am so glad you called, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you on Oct. 14 – but you already knew that.
There's only one major hurdle left between you and your dream: the Crucible. From the sound of your voice, I can tell you are ready to tackle it. Definitely keep that confidence going into it. I am 100 percent sure that you will succeed.
When you were born 18 years ago, I didn't know where your life would lead. None of us know God’s plan. I prayed that whatever path you chose, He would guide you in the right direction and watch over you. That prayer continues to be answered every day.
You have worked hard to achieve your dream – particularly over the last 11 weeks. On Oct. 7, after you complete the Crucible, take some time to reflect on all that you have accomplished. You will have earned that right. There will be other dreams to go after tomorrow.
On your last days as a civilian, there’s one last thing I want you to know: I am extremely proud of the man that you are and the Marine that you will become.
The weeks of training, physical and mental stress, discipline, yelling, camaraderie and sacrifice all come down to this: The Crucible. For Josh and his fellow recruits, now back at Camp Pendleton, it’s the only thing standing between them and the title of Marine.
Of course, the word “only” shouldn’t diminish what the 80 or so recruits in Josh’s platoon are about face. The Crucible will test each and every one of them physically, mentally and morally. They will be split into teams, and for 54 hours will be confronted with a barrage of challenges – day and night. Deprived of sleep and food, the recruits will need to work together to overcome obstacles, solve problems and help each other every step of the way.
And with 40 miles of marching, there will be a lot of steps. But that’s not all. The recruits will tackle combat assault courses, a problem-solving reaction course and team-building warrior stations. Each of those stations is named for a Marine hero.
One of the obstacles on the Confidence Course is the Sky Scraper, seen here in a photo from the Aug. 6 edition of the Chevron. Each recruit is required to climb the three-tiered tower while holding their rifles. They go down the other side carrying a 160-pound dummy, which simulates the evacuation of a casualty.
At the end of the Crucible, the recruits will march to a ceremony where drill instructors will present them with the Eagle, Globe and Anchor. Officially the emblem of the Marine Corps since 1955, the EGA as been a part of the uniform since 1868. The eagle represents a proud nation, the globe points to worldwide presence, and the anchor stands for the naval tradition of the Corps.
“Receiving the emblem signifies that the recruits have earned a place in the Marine Corps legacy,” says a Marine Corps website. “They will now stand side by side with their instructors as Marines.”
An update: In his last letter, which was written Sept. 26, Josh described his final days as a recruit. “We have final drill on Monday, final written exams/first-aid exams on Tuesday, a visit to the museum on Wednesday (plus final PFT), rappel tower on Thursday, pictures on Friday, Commanding Officer’s Inspection on Saturday and in one week (Oct. 3) we leave for Pendleton.”
At the conclusion of the letter, his excitement was obvious: “I’ll be a Marine in less than two weeks! Woooo!”
That “less than two weeks” is now down to a handful of days. On Tuesday, Training Day 61, the clock will start on the Crucible and will continue running for 54 hours.
– Josh’s platoon was among the first to use the Marine Corps’ new service rifle, the M-16A4 (shown above in a photo from the Chevron). Recruits started firing the weapons during training at Camp Pendleton’s Edison Range on July 19, the same day Josh arrived at MCRD San Diego.
– Besides recruit training, MCRD has been home to a lot of activity this summer. Two new “H-style” barracks, a recruit rehabilitation facility and several independent restrooms are under construction. Also, upgrades are being made to other buildings, some of which date to the early 1920s. The work is expected to be finished within the next 18 months.
– Civilians got a taste of what recruits endure by running an MCRD obstacle course during the Boot Camp Challenge on Sept. 26. The course’s first set of waist-high logs proved to be a true challenge for one woman, who went over them and promptly did a face-plant in a pit filled with rubber chips next to Union-Tribune reporter Jeanette Steele. “It scared me. I was already predisposed to crawling gingerly over the logs,” Steele observed in her story. “But the depot’s drill instructors didn’t seem to care about my height, my old knees or my concern for keeping my front teeth. About 60 guys with campaign hats and loud voices were stationed along the course, offering ‘encouragement.’”
– Boot camp graduations have something in common with Lakers games: attracting celebrities. Dyan Cannon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Andy Garcia, Penny Marshall, Denzel Washington and, of course, Jack Nicholson are regulars at Staples. But the Sept. 3 graduation at MCRD for Company K drew some star wattage as well. It was attended by Caressa Cameron, Miss America 2010 – minus her tiara.
– Dozens of survivors of the Chosin Reservoir battle during the Korean War were on hand Sept. 15 when a memorial for the “Chosin Few” was unveiled at Camp Pendleton. In the battle, Nov. 27 to Dec. 13, 1950, vastly outnumbered soldiers and Marines were up against 100,000 Chinese troops. More than 900 Americans were killed, and thousands more were wounded. The 6-by-8 foot, 3,000-pound granite monument is on an overcrop with a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean near Pendleton’s main gate. After three weeks of Phase II training at the camp, Josh’s platoon was already back at MCRD the day it was unveiled. Josh’s grandfather, Jerome Jess Rice, an Army sergeant, served in Korea during the war.
